This is a lab that the students will be performing. This lab get's them to investigate the cells membrane and explore its semi-permeability. Materials that will be provided to the students will be 2 medicine droppers, a microscope slide, forceps, cover slip, microscope, salt solution, fresh water, paper towel, elodea leaf. Students will be instructed to examine the effects of salt water on the elodea leaf.
Science Practices
The students will have already received instruction on how to make a wet mount slide. The students should also have received some background knowledge on the cell's membrane. This inquiry assignment will let them use their prior knowledge and create a hypothesis based on that prior knowledge. They will have to write their own procedure to test their hypothesis and explain and diagram their experiment. Their grade will be based on the following:
20% Hypothesis: Is their hypothesis an educated guess, not just a statement of what they think will happen?
20% Procedure: Does their procedure allow them to test their hypothesis?
20% Data: Did they diagram what they saw and follow the proper guidelines for scientific sketching?
20% Conclusion: Did they make a conclusion based on their evidence; did it agree or disagree with their hypothesis
20% Participation: Are they working well in class, following directions, thinking for themselves.
The point of this inquiry activity is to get students to observe how the cell can be affected by the environment around it. The students get practice with hypothesizing and conducting their own investigations. This affords them the opportunity to "think like a scientist" and not just follow laboratory instructions.
Informal Assessment Inquiry
"Now you see it - Now you don't"
Description of Inquiry Assignment:
This is a lab that the students will be performing. This lab get's them to investigate the cells membrane and explore its semi-permeability. Materials that will be provided to the students will be 2 medicine droppers, a microscope slide, forceps, cover slip, microscope, salt solution, fresh water, paper towel, elodea leaf. Students will be instructed to examine the effects of salt water on the elodea leaf.Science Practices
The students will have already received instruction on how to make a wet mount slide. The students should also have received some background knowledge on the cell's membrane. This inquiry assignment will let them use their prior knowledge and create a hypothesis based on that prior knowledge. They will have to write their own procedure to test their hypothesis and explain and diagram their experiment. Their grade will be based on the following:20% Hypothesis: Is their hypothesis an educated guess, not just a statement of what they think will happen?
20% Procedure: Does their procedure allow them to test their hypothesis?
20% Data: Did they diagram what they saw and follow the proper guidelines for scientific sketching?
20% Conclusion: Did they make a conclusion based on their evidence; did it agree or disagree with their hypothesis
20% Participation: Are they working well in class, following directions, thinking for themselves.
The point of this inquiry activity is to get students to observe how the cell can be affected by the environment around it. The students get practice with hypothesizing and conducting their own investigations. This affords them the opportunity to "think like a scientist" and not just follow laboratory instructions.